This
man, judging from the height of the river, deemed it practicable to shoot
the rapid and determined upon trying it. He accordingly placed himself in
the bow of his canoe, having previously agreed that, if the passage was
found easy, he should, on reaching the bottom of the rapid, fire a musket
as a signal for the other canoe to follow. The rapid proved dangerous and
called forth all the skill of the guide and the utmost exertion of his
crew and they narrowly escaped destruction. Just as they were landing an
unfortunate fellow, seizing the loaded fowling-piece, fired at a duck
which rose at the instant. The guide, anticipating the consequences, ran
with the utmost haste to the other end of the portage but he was too
late: the other canoe had pushed off and he arrived only to witness the
fate of his comrades. They got alarmed in the middle of the rapid, the
canoe was upset, and every man perished.
The various rapids we passed this day are produced by an assemblage of
islands and rocky ledges which obstruct the river and divide it into many
narrow channels. Two of these channels are rendered still more difficult
by accumulations of drift timber, a circumstance which has given a name
to one of the portages. The rocks which compose the bed of the river and
the numerous islands belong to the granite formation. The distance made
today was thirteen miles.
July 21.
We embarked at four A.M. and pursued our course down the river. The rocks
ceased at the last portage and below it the banks are composed of
alluvial soil which is held together by the roots of trees and shrubs
that crown their summits. The river is about a mile wide and the current
is greatly diminished. At eight we landed at the mouth of the Salt River
and pitched our tents, intending to remain there that and the next day
for the purpose of fishing. After breakfast, which made another inroad on
our preserved meats, we proceeded up the river in a light canoe to visit
the salt springs, leaving a party behind to attend the nets. This river
is about one hundred yards wide at its mouth. Its waters did not become
brackish until we had ascended it seven or eight miles but, when we had
passed several rivulets of fresh water which flowed in, the main stream
became very salt, at the same time contracting its width to fifteen or
twenty yards. At a distance of twenty-two miles, including the windings
of the river, the plains commence. Having pitched the tent at this spot
we set out to visit the principal springs and had walked about three
miles when the mosquitoes compelled us to give up our project. We did not
see the termination of the plains toward the east, but on the north and
west they are bounded by an even ridge about six or seven hundred feet in
height. Several salt springs issue from the foot of this ridge and spread
their waters over the plain which consists of tenacious clay. During the
summer much evaporation takes place and large heaps of salt are left
behind crystallised in the form of cubes. Some beds of grayish compact
gypsum were exposed on the sides of the hills.
The next morning after filling some casks with salt for our use during
winter we embarked to return, and had descended the river a few miles
when, turning round a point, we perceived a buffalo plunge into the river
before us. Eager to secure so valuable a prize we instantly opened a fire
upon him from four muskets and in a few minutes he fell, but not before
he had received fourteen balls. The carcass was towed to the bank and the
canoe speedily laden with meat. After this piece of good fortune we
descended the stream merrily, our voyagers chanting their liveliest
songs. On arrival at the mouth of the river we found that our nets had
not produced more than enough to supply a scanty meal to the men whom we
had left behind, but this was now of little importance as the acquisition
of meat we had made would enable us to proceed without more delay to
Slave Lake. The poisson inconnu mentioned by Mackenzie is found here. It
is a species of the Genus Salmo, and is said by the Indians to ascend
from the Arctic Sea but, being unable to pass the cascade of the Slave
River, is not found higher than this place. In the evening a violent
thunderstorm came on with heavy rain, thermometer 70 degrees.
At a very early hour on the following morning we embarked and continued
to paddle against a very strong wind and high waves under the shelter of
the bank of the rivers until two P.M. when, having arrived at a more
exposed part of the stream, the canoes took in so much water that we were
obliged to disembark on a small island. The river here is from one mile
and a quarter to one mile and three-quarters wide. Its banks are of
moderate height, sandy, and well wooded.
SLAVE LAKE AND FORT PROVIDENCE.
July 24.
We made more progress notwithstanding the continuance of the wind. The
course of the river is very winding, making in one place a circuit of
seven or eight miles round a peninsula which is joined to the west bank
by a narrow isthmus. Near the foot of this elbow a long island occupies
the centre of the river which it divides into two channels. The longitude
was obtained near to it 113 degrees 25 minutes 36 seconds and variation
27 degrees 25 minutes 14 seconds North, and the latitude 60 degrees 54
minutes 52 seconds North, about four miles farther down.
